Week in Rewind Movie Reviews by Christopher Smith

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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Movie & DVD Review (2001)
2007-09-12 15:17:00
A sputtering plot starts to hiccup(Originally published 2001)Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, written by Tab Murphy, 95 minutes, rated PG .When compared to Disney’s best animated films, “Atlantis : The Lost Empire ” doesn’t compare. As directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, the team behind “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” their latest has a promising beginning and animation that effectively borrows from Japanese anime. But the moment the film dives 20,000 leagues under the sea in search of the mythic city Plato made famous, the plot starts to sputter, the characters begin to hiccup--and the movie itself begins to drown.The opening, which features Atlantis and its people being swallowed whole by the sea, is stirring and well done, but it will likely be confusing to younger viewers. Indeed, its characters initially don’t speak English, but a faux Atlantis language translated in subtitles. Though “Atlantis” is meant for older...
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Red Dragon: Movie & DVD Review (2002)
2007-09-12 15:06:00
Repeated extremes (Originally published 2002) Directed by Brett Ratner, written by Ted Tally, based on the novel by Thomas Harris, 124 minutes, Rated R. After a year that's seen its share of wealthy, upstanding men and women exposed as criminals and locked behind bars, along comes Brett Ratner's "Red Drago n ," a film about a wealthy, upstanding individual exposed as a criminal and locked behind bars. Who knew the movie would be so timely? The film departs from reality in that its criminal happens to be pop culture's best-loved people person, Hannibal the Cannibal--but, hey, I bet those who lost their jobs and retirements thanks to a handful of the fine folks at Enron and WorldCom would be hard pressed to see a difference. "Red Dragon," from a screenplay Ted Tally based on Thomas Harris' 1981 best-selling novel, is a tense, often gripping prequel to "The Silence of the Lambs" and last year's half-baked "Hannibal." As you'd expect, a feeling of deja-vu hangs over the film, someti...
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Finding Nemo: Movie & DVD Review (2003)
2007-09-12 04:46:00
Turkey of the sea(Originally published 2003)Directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich; written by Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds, 104 minutes, rated G.If you’re going to spend $80 million serving fish to audiences, the last thing you want to offer them is a turkey of the sea.And so, in "Finding Nemo ," an underwater adventure about a tiny clown fish torn from his overprotective father, Disney and Pixar Animation Studios prove once again that they know how to set a table and keep the crowds fed.Indeed, in their fifth collaboration, the studios behind "Toy Story," "Toy Story 2," "A Bug’s Life" and "Monsters, Inc." have filled their latest virtual tank with their best-looking movie to date.Set in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the film tells the story of Nemo (voice of Alexander Gould), a young, motherless clown fish who wants to prove to his father, Marlin (Albert Brooks), that in spite of being born with a miniature right fin, he’s fully capable of taking care of h...
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The Forgotten: Movie & DVD Review (2004)
2007-09-12 04:39:00
Get in the car, and drive away from this movie(Originally published 2004)Directed by Joseph Ruben, written by Gerald Di Pego, 91 minutes, rated PG-13.Choosing a title for a movie is crucial yet tricky business. For instance, should you decide to call your movie about a sweet-natured, bovine-loving girl “Cow Patty,” you certainly don’t want it to smell like one to audiences. I mean, imagine the headlines should “Cow Patty” be a stinker.Such is the case with “The Forgotten ,” a dumb movie about a handful of dead children who are mysteriously forgotten by most of their parents.What nobody attached to this beauty likely wanted from audiences is the sort of negative word of mouth that found them saying, “Forget it,” to their friends. But just try stopping them. “The Forgotten” is beyond forgettable—it’s amnesiatic--standing tall as one of the lamest, most ill-conceived movies of the year.In it, the fine actress, Julianne Moore, proves she can be rather abominable...
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Open Range: Movie & DVD Review (2003)
2007-09-12 01:38:00
At home on the range(Originally published 2003)Directed by Kevin Costner, written by Craig Storper, based on the novel “The Open Range Men” by Lauran Paine, 135 minutes, rated R.In the Western “Open Range,” director, producer and star Kevin Costner casts himself in a variation of the role that has defined so much of his career, that of a troubled loner whose reluctance to become romantically involved is exactly the quality that makes him so irresistible to strong-willed women.He’s Charley Waite, a quiet, brooding man guiding cattle across the wild West with three other free rangers—the patriarch of the group, Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), gentle giant Mose (Abraham Benrubi) and the immature Button (Diego Luna).After a leisurely opening that drags in spite of the welcome diversion of cinematographer James Muro’s stunning, wide-open landscapes (the film was shot in Alberta and its look is pure John Ford), the movie gets under your skin.Working against the men as they mo...
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New to DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray, Sept. 11, 2007
2007-09-10 22:07:00
New to DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray Sept . 11, 2007Xenosaga - Volume 1: Enter the Gnosis Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise American Cannibal: The Documentary Grey's Anatomy - Season Three (Seriously Extended) Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Complete Book 2 Collection Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) (Collector's Edition) Even Money Face/Off (2-Disc Special Collector's Edition) I Dream of Jeannie - The Complete Fourth Season The Graduate (40th Anniversary Edition) Tom and Jerry - The Spotlight Collection Volume 3 The Noel Coward Collection Fraggle Rock - Complete Third Season Supernatural - The Complete Second Season Charmed - The Final Season Two and a Half Men - The Complete First Season Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - The Complete Season 2 Griffin and Phoenix Best Student Council - Volume 6: Don't Go! Hello Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy - Volume Three: Reunited and It Feels So Good Guyver - 6: Pandemonium's Ransom Nature's JourneyRoyal Space Force: The Win...

Grey's Anatomy: Season Three DVD Review (2007)
2007-09-10 21:01:00
When the drama offscreen is more interesting(Originally published 2007)Nothing in this weak third season rises to the level of drama that took place over the past year between the cast members offscreen, though it should have. Given the show's title, the focus presumably is on Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), who is in an intense relationship with surgeon Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), and who, like him, must mine the personalities surrounding her--Izzie (Katherine Heigl), Alex (Justin Chambers), Cristina (Sandra Oh) and George (T.R. Knight). But if anything has come through since Isaiah Washington was fired from the show earlier this year, it's that "Anatom y " really is about Meredith and company. Trouble is, with Izzie in a funk for much of this season after the death of her fiance, the show follows suit, which is a shame since this hospital melodrama once had a spark that helped it reach beyond the cliche. Grade: CBonus Features:Four extended episodes exclusively for the DVD rel...
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Supernatural: Complete Second Season DVD Review (2007)
2007-09-10 20:54:00
When mama gets bumped in the night(Originally published 2007)Delivers what its title promises and then goes a step farther--it improves upon the first season.Jared Padalacki and Jensen Ackles return as Sam and Dean Winchester, two brothers working through a traumatic past--their mother was viciously killed by a monster, grisly depicted in the first season.Now, the family business is in hunting down ghosts, particularly the elusive one who killed their mother.The season opens with Sam, Dean and their father, John (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), all recovering from a car accident that's about to take Dean's life when John makes a deal with the devil that alters the course of those events, particularly when he unleashes a secret.What ensues is the supernatural at every turn. Urban legends abound, as does a fair measure of brotherly angst.Grade: BEpisodes1. In My Time of Dying2. Everyone Loves a Clown3. Bloodlust4. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things5. Simon Said6. No Exit7. The Usual Su...
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I Dream of Jeannie: Complete Fourth Season DVD Review (2007)
2007-09-10 20:51:00
Yes, master?(Originally published 2007)Hardly for the feminist--the lot of it is pure male fantasy--though when it comes to kitsch, it's tough to beat this ‘60s throwback.Jeannie’s evil sister, Jeannie, is back to add dice to the mix, which she does in such episodes as "How to Marry an Astronaut" and "Jeannie Go Around," each of which find her trying to snag Major Nelson (Larry Hagman) for herself.This fourth season continues to underscore the chemistry between Eden and Hagman, which was as hot as Jeannie's pink pantaloons. As Tony’s leering friend Roger, Bill Daily and his bumbling inappropriateness throws this enduring show further off kilter.A guest appearance by Arte Johnson kicks it to the moon.Grade: B+Technorati tags:dvddvd reviewstv
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Shoot 'Em Up: Movie Review (2007)
2007-09-10 04:32:00
Baby onboard(Originally published 2007)Here is a good example of what happens if you were favored to be the next James Bond, but then were overlooked for the role.If you're Clive Owen, for example, who must have a subversive sense of humor, you show up to star in a movie that features as much ingenious action as you'd find in a Bond film, but without the good taste, the good manners and the swank locales that tend to inspire daydreams of extended travel abroad.Nothing in writer and director Michael Davis' "Shoot 'Em Up" will prompt such longings because nothing here is as intoxicatingly beautiful as, say, Montenegro was in "Casino Royale." Instead, there's only the filth of a crime underbelly that's somewhat eye-opening in just how base that underbelly can be.This swift, rank, enjoyably dark movie presses against so many limits, it achieves the threshold of a new limit. It likely will offend plenty, but most of those folks won't be in on the joke the movie courts. With its to...
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Elizabeth: Movie, DVD, HD DVD Review (1998)
2007-09-10 04:25:00
A staunch, unshrinking Elizabeth (Originally published 1998; updated 2007)With "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" set for release Oct. 12, now is the time to revisit the film that inspired it--1998's "Elizabeth." Whether you do so via standard DVD or on Universal's terrific new high definition HD DVD transfer, it's impossible to go wrong with either.From Michael Hirst's script, "Elizabeth" is an expertly acted, brooding melodrama that features Queen Elizabeth I as one staunch, formidable virgin, as Cate Blanchett explores to bewitching success in her Academy Award-nominated performance.As King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s daughter, Blanchett plays Elizabeth as a passionate free spirit hardened by her cold blue bloodline, the ruthless machinations of a court in upheaval, and the tremendous rush for power that undermines it all.Compressing and rewriting history at will, the film takes great liberties in an effort to put on a good show, which it does--royally.Beginning with the burning o...
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World Trade Center: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-09 22:41:00
The past as present(Originally published 2006)When word first came that Oliver Stone was making a movie about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, it seemed as if the production already was doomed. Questions about the movie--and arguments against it--rose up even before a script or a cast was in place.What would Stone, the least subtle of directors, do with material that demanded a nuanced hand? Would he play the movie straight (unlikely), or would he go for one of his conspiracy theories, which have put off so many? If he did go with the latter, what shape would such a conspiracy take? And how political would his movie be?Negative buzz surrounding the movie heightened when it was announced that Nicolas Cage had been cast in the lead as Sgt. John McLoughlin, the Port Authority officer who was in Tower One with his team of volunteers when the building collapsed. The initial implication was that by going with an action star, Hollywood was going all the way w...
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The Descent: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-09 22:37:00
Rising above expectations(Originally published 2006)The last time Hollywood spelunked us, it was in last year's "The Cave," and the disappointment ran deep--every one of its surprises was packaged. People got picked off, the screen shook, monsters roared, the prettiest survived. The film was bamboozled by banality, featuring an ending that was such a cheat, it offered no closure and thus only existed with the high hopes of setting up a sequel.Thankfully, at this point, one isn't on the docket.Neil Marshall's "The Descent ," on the other hand, gets it right. From Marshall's own script, the film follows six women who regroup a year after tragedy leaves one of the women, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), nearly destitute.Their new outing, designed by the adventure-seeking Juno (Natalie Mendoza), is meant to bring the women closer and put the steel back into their backbones. As such, what Juno suggests is a formidable challenge not without its risks--they will travel to the Appalachian Mount...
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You, Me and Dupree: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-09 22:26:00
Toxic love(Originally published 2006)In the comedy "You, Me and Dupree," the "You and Me" of the title are Carl and Molly Peterson (Matt Dillon, Kate Hudson), two newlyweds whose lives should presumably be infused with happiness, love, laughter, and plenty of good, uninterrupted sex.At least for the first year.But as the film's title suggests, they also must deal with Dupree (Owen Wilson), Carl's longtime best friend and the best man at their swanky island wedding whose life, shall we say, is lived a bit more unconventionally than most.Dupree, you see, is something of a retro hippie throwback--with his bleached locks, surfer talk and surfer drag, he recalls a beach bum of yesteryear. And we all know how much fun they can be, particularly when they're close to 40 and can't hold a job, can't pay the rent, can't afford a car or any food to eat.The bar Dupree frequents no longer wants much to do with him--apparently, there is plenty of competition for the cot in the back room--and...
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Flushed Away: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-09 22:07:00
Swept away(Originally published 2006)For some, the new computer-animated movie "Flushed Away " might sound like the logical sequel to Madonna and Guy Ritchie's remake of "Swept Away," in which Madge gave the sort of performance that was so poorly received, it essentially plucked the raison from her d'etre. Recently, she proclaimed she will never act in another movie, a promise she shrewdly has kept--at least for now."Flushed Away" comes from directors David Bowers and Sam Fell by way of DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations.The latter is the British outfit behind the Academy Award-winning Wallace & Gromit series. Those films were created using stop-motion clay animation, a look and feel "Flush" strives to capture through computer animation. For the most part, they succeed, though there is a smoothness to the production that does steal away at least some of the crude, hands-on charm for which Aardman is known.As written by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keenan ...
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Charlotte's Web: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-09 21:52:00
Some movie(Originally published 2006)Gary Winick's "Char lotte's Web," from a screenplay Susannah Grant and Karey Kirkpatrick based on E.B. White's novel, doesn't come close to achieving the magic of the book, but that likely will surprise only those who haven't read the book.For those who have and who have great affection for it, the good news is that this telling of the tale does an earnest job in capturing the book's essence in spite of being bound to the limitations of a literal medium--film.With a book this fragile--it does, after all, feature a clutch of wise-cracking animals facing the deadly fate a spring pig named Wilbur--the shift from one's personal interpretations of the book to a live cast's interpretation could have gone either way. For the most part, it goes the right way.Set in Hancock, Maine (in Somerset County, no less, a rather glaring error), the film stars Dakota Fanning as Fern, a farm girl who witnesses the birth of 11 pigs, with one, the runt of the li...
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Dead Silence: Movie Review (2007)
2007-09-09 21:24:00
Who's the dummy? (Originally published 2007)The new James Wan movie, “Dead Silence ,” features a ventriloquist’s dummy named Billy who comes to life in crashes of thunder and lightning to savagely eat the tongues of those who come too close to it. So right away, you know if the movie is for you.For the rest of us, things are predictably bleak. The movie, which Wan based on a screenplay by Leigh Whannell (his co-creator on the equally dumb “Saw” franchise), will surprise absolutely nobody that, so far, it's the worst movie of the year. The film sends out rays of stupidity. It's an orgy of bad choices and miscalculations. It’s pointless, it's shabbily produced, it isn't scary, it fears humor. It just is, which isn't enough. The best that can be said for it is that it does feature a title that at least gets to the heart of what the movie elicits from its audience. Listen closely and you can hear in the dead silence the movie courts what's also dying onscreen--t...
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Evening: Movie Review (2007)
2007-09-09 20:45:00
The sun sets on two novelists who write a movie(Originally published 2007)The new Lajos Koltai movie, "Evening ," is loosely based on the 1998 novel by Susan Minot, who lives in North Haven, from a screenplay Minot adapted with Michael Cunningham, who wrote the novel "The Hours,” which was successfully turned into the 2002 movie of the same name. Just as in that film, "Evening" touts the sort of cast that’s so revered, it tends to generate a groundswell of excitement.That downside of that, of course, are the high expectations that go along with it.Featured here are Vanessa Redgrave and her real-life daughter Natasha Richardson, Meryl Streep and her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer, Toni Collette, Claire Danes, Eileen Atkins and Glenn Close. Hardly a sorry bunch.Add to this mix Hugh Dancy and Patrick Wilson, and you have an intoxicating brew, so much so that going into the movie, you think that with so much talent pressing for attention, certainly the film won't be lacking in ener...
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The Producers: Movie & DVD Review (2005)
2007-09-09 16:38:00
An overproduced jewel(Originally published 2005)Susan Stroman's "The Produce rs" presents a tricky balancing act for the director. It's a film that comes with something of a pedigree--Mel Brooks' 1968 original film, which is a comedic masterpiece, and Brooks' over-the-top Broadway musical, which is among the biggest hits in recent Broadway memory.Given the comparisons that were sure to follow--and the pressures that accompanied them--this new film could have been a disaster. True enough, in the early scenes, when Stroman is still finding her way around the quirky rooms that fill Mel Brooks' mind, there is every indication that it will be a disaster. Initial scenes are awkward, the meter is off, there's the sense that the film is getting ahead of itself, the tone is wrong.But then, without warning, the laughs start to hit, then hit harder, and then the film achieves that zenith for which it was meant--the stratosphere, where political correctness doesn't exist and camp can run ...
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The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement: Movie & DVD Review (2004)
2007-09-09 16:36:00
Three cheers for mediocrity!(Originally published 2004)Garry Marshall's "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" is the most enthusiastically G-rated movie to hit theaters this year. It's chirpy and naïve and sunny, existing in the sort of harmless, glimmering neverland that could exist only in fairy tales.It's not for me, but then it's not meant to be for me. It's for pre-teen girls who long for a tiara, a mansion and a cute boy, which is fair enough. At my screening, the majority of its target audience seemed to like it, which those eager to see it should know. Still, for those of us who have been bonged over the head with this scepter one too many times before, it's difficult to embrace "Princess Diaries 2" when so many similar, better movies have proceeded it.The likable leads--Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrew--do their best to lift this number two out of the toilet, but Marshall makes it tough to get beyond the cliches and the sloppy direction when you know that both cou...
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Prime: Movie & DVD Review (2005)
2007-09-09 16:34:00
Miss Jean Brodie she isn't (Originally published 2005)The romantic comedy, “Prim e ,” features neither the prime of Meryl Streep nor the prime of Uma Thurman. So, in spite of its eye-catching title, which promises plenty given the quality of its A-list cast, audiences should forget about hoping to see either actress achieve the prime of, say, a certain Miss Jean Brodie. As good as Streep and Thurman are here, they have been better elsewhere.The question at hand really is whether the movie is building toward the prime of writer-director Ben Younger, whose 2000 debut film, “Boiler Room,” channeled Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street” in ways that “Prime” channels elements of Norman Jewison’s “Moonstruck” and the mid-to-late career of Woody Allen. That's a nice way of saying that Younger’s films are more...
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The Prestige: Movie, DVD, Blu-ray disc Review (2006)
2007-09-09 16:31:00
What you don't see(Originally published 2006)If movies are among our greatest, most enduring vehicles for illusion, deceiving us on nearly every level to generate a manufactured form of reality, then a movie about dueling illusionists should, in theory, offer that same sleight of hand--only amplified.Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige " is just that sort of movie, and in spite of arriving so soon on the heels of the similar "The Illusionist," it pulls through with panache.The film, which Nolan ("Insomnia," "Batman Begins") co-wrote with his brother, Jonathan, is among the year's more compelling and baffling movies, a beautifully photographed, nicely acted period thriller in which two popular illusionists working the crowds in 19th-century London are divided by an obsession that's far from magical.It is, in fact, murderous.Since the movie follows Nolan's "Memento" in that much of its success depends on revealing as little of its fractured plot as possible, we'll brush only the ed...
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A Prairie Home Companion: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-09 16:28:00
Prairie dog(Originally published 2006)The new Robert Altman movie, "A Prairie Home Companion ," is set within the closed world of radio performed via the stage, with the audience in attendance at St. Paul's F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater watching what will be the last performance of a long-running radio show. Given the ripe possibilities for real theater to explode at such an event, the movie sounds as if might offer the juice of, say, Altman's "Gosford Park."It doesn't."Companion" is as wide open and as gentle as its title suggests. Sometimes you appreciate it for Altman’s typical breezy looseness and disregard for structure. Other times you wish a snake would cut across this "Prairie" and bite somebody on the ankle, if only to liven up a movie seriously in need of dramatic tension.The film, which screenwriter Garrison Keillor based on his popular public radio program, is little more than a sweetly nostalgic, mildly entertaining diversion. It's best reserved for fans of the radio...
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Poseidon: Movie, DVD, HD DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-09 16:26:00
Rogue waves(Originally published 2006)Wolfgang Petersen's "Pose idon" answers one of the more recent, trickier questions to be lobbed out of Hollywood: How do you replace the heroic sight of Shelley Winters--breath held longer than David Blaine could fathom, panties showing, legs kicking, weight on the rise--skimming through a watery deep in an effort to save the remaining passengers of 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure"?More troubling for Petersen, how do you top her character's dramatic death? The director's shrewd answer is that you don't even try. That is one scene that is so indelibly ensconced in pop culture lore, it's best left untouched.Petersen plays that even hand throughout. He never goes for the look or the feel of its predecessor, which was the right choice. When you're remaking a camp classic, as Petersen is, it's likely best to court as few comparisons as possible.With no time or patience for any discernible character development, this new "Poseidon" rails forward...
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The Polar Express: Movie, DVD, HD DVD Review (2004)
2007-09-09 16:22:00
Night of the living dead(Originally published 2004)The new holiday movie, “The Polar Express ,” is so chilly and devoid of life, it should have been released on Halloween.Director Robert Zemeckis has taken Chris Van Allsburg’s spare, 32-page children’s book, inflated it with plot elements and characters not in the original and launched it onto the masses with an avalanche of hype.A reported $170 million was spent producing this beauty, but don’t be fooled by the inflated budget or by the colorful animation you see in the television ads. The movie’s story and characters are so flat, this sleeper car derails.Using performance capture technology, the film uses real actors--Tom Hanks chief among them--to achieve photo-realism through computer animation. That’s an inevitable progression of the CGI movement, but is photo-realism really what audiences want from an animated movie? The recent successes of “Finding Nemo,” “Shrek 2” and “The Incredibles” suggest otherw...
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The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Movie, DVD & Blu-ray di
2007-09-09 16:17:00
Not quite a treasure(Originally published 2005)Gore Verbinski's "Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest," a sequel to 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl," does exactly what you expect it to do. It supersizes what worked in the original to the point that it becomes less a movie and more a spectacle.That isn't necessarily a bad thing, particularly since this film features its share of memorable action scenes. The trouble is that by focusing so much attention on the technical execution of those scenes, what this sequel lacks is the perfect mix of romance, bombast, wit and action that made the first film such an unexpected delight.At nearly two and a half hours, the movie is too long. Shave off a third and we might have had another great pirate picture on our hands. As it stands, we have a good one, a movie that retains some of the original's charm in spite of its familiarity.The film brings back much of the original cast, with the highlight once aga...
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The Perfect Man: Movie & DVD Review (2005)
2007-09-09 16:15:00
Smiling through a bad movie (Originally published 2005)This week's life lesson from Hollywood is a boon for unhappy teen-age girls seeking companionship for their single mothers. If you're looking for that perfect man for mom, the best way to find him isn't through friends, the personals or a computer dating service. It’s through lies and deception.At least that's according to "The Perfect Man," a screwy romantic comedy from Mark Rosman that's on the fast track to your local video store.The film stars Hilary Duff as Holly, a sweet-faced tween with a bum life whose free-living mother Jean (Heather Locklear) is a pastry chef with no center, no filling, no crème de la crème.No matter how many men she dates--and there have been plenty--she can't seem to find the right guy.To be kind to Jean, let's refer to her as a serial dater. To round ...
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An American Haunting: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-04 04:07:00
Even Satanic dogs hate it(Originally published 2006)Courtney Solomon’s new horror movie, "An American Haunting," is more like “An American Hanging.” It slips a big noose of banality around its audience's necks and then tightens the rope until unconsciousness sets in.That it doesn’t take long to do so is either best news I can share or the worst, depending on your point of view.There is no reason to care about this movie. To say that it's rotten gives it more energy than it deserves. It suggests that the film leaves a mark, which it doesn't. What comes closer to the truth is that the movie is barely there. It defines vapidity. It's all smoke and no mirrors, with no payoff, no point. It would be nice to say that it has no raison d’etre, but that would just insult the French.Based on Brent Monahan’s book, “The Bell Witch: An American Haunting,” which is inspired by a true story, the film stars Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland as Lucy and John Bell. They are commo...
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American Dreamz: Movie & DVD Review (2006)
2007-09-04 04:01:00
No, we don't. And the movie is no good, either.(Originally published 2006)Paul Weitz's "American Dreamz " assembles a sumptuous buffet for the viewer, but since Weitz isn’t hungry, he just stares at the spread, dumbly refusing to eat when really he should gorge.The film attempts to send up "American Idol," George W. Bush, pop culture and our fascination with fame, and yet somehow--incredibly--it misses on every conceivable level to get the job done.How do you screw up an opportunity such as this? Even if you love "American Idol," love Bush, love where the culture is going, adore fame, you would think there is no way you could miss taking them all on, even if you felt you had to play it safe by doing it with affection. Certainly even then a measure of good-natured hair-pulling wouldn’t be out of line. Perhaps it might even be fun."American Dream z" isn’t even a little fun. It's dull and generic, with the ongoing sense that it was conceived by some dim-witted enfant banal hand...
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A Man Apart: Movie & DVD Review (2003)
2007-09-04 03:58:00
Vin Diesel: Actor(Originally published 2003)If your last film sounded as if it were promoting porn and if it featured you parading about in a sheepskin pimp coat, where would you go from there? Straight into counseling? Perhaps to a bar? Maybe into a coma?Not Vin Diesel.Fresh from the success of "XXX," the actor now takes to the screen in "A Man Apart," a violent revenge drama directed by F. Gary Gray that was shot before the actor’s big hits, “XXX" and "The Fast and the Furious,” but which has been sitting on a studio shelf for years because of problems with its ending.Those problems remain well intact, but now, with Diesel firmly established as a headlining star, the film has been dusted off, reworked in an editing bay and, for better or worse, released in theaters.As directed by Gray from a script by Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring, the film stars Diesel as Sean Vetter, a former L.A. thug turned DEA agent who is psychologically torn apart after the brutal murder of h...
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